Jeremiah Fears Explodes for Career-High 28 Points to Lift Pelicans’ Playoff Hopes

New Orleans—Rookie guard Jeremiah Fears has the NBA buzzing after dropping a career-best 28 points off the bench in the Pelicans’ 137-117 shoot-out with the Clippers on Sunday night, sinking 5-of-6 from deep while adding four assists, three rebounds and two blocks. Fears, the No. 7 pick in the 2025 Draft, has been on a month-long surge. Over his last eight games he’s averaging 15.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in just under 28 minutes, turning the once-thin New Orleans backcourt into a nightly mismatch. ESPN’s game log shows the 20-year-old scoring 17 or more in three of his past four outings, including a 17-point, 5-rebound effort that sealed last week’s win over Utah. Why the sudden leap? Coaches credit the Chicago native’s expanded off-ball movement and a refined pull-up three that is now falling at 39 percent since the All-Star break. Veteran CJ McCollum says the rookie “changes pace like a five-year pro,” while Zion Williamson calls him “the spark that flips games.” Key milestones driving the surge • First 20-point game: 22 vs. Kings on Feb. 10 • Career-high assist night: 11 vs. Rockets on Feb. 22 • Career-high scoring night: 28 vs. Clippers on Mar. 1 What’s next on the calendar The Pelicans open a four-game home stand Thursday against the defending-champion Nuggets before hosting the Spurs, Suns and Lakers—a stretch Fears circled in a recent team interview as “the window we can climb the West.” Pelicans.com lists the March 14 matchup with Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs and the March 18 duel with Devin Booker’s Suns among his five must-watch dates this season. Impact on the playoff race and fantasy hoops New Orleans (34-28) sits seventh in the Western Conference, but Fears’ second-unit explosion pushes the team’s offensive rating to 118.6 when he’s on the floor—top-five among rookie guards league-wide. Fantasy managers have noticed: his roster percentage on major platforms jumped from 21 percent to 64 percent in two weeks, and he now ranks inside the top 75 on nine-category player raiders since February 1. Scouting report in brief • Size/length: 6-4 with a 6-9 wingspan—disruptive passing lanes, plus weak-side rim-protection. • Shot profile: 44 percent of attempts from three, 62 percent effective FG in the restricted area. • Playmaking: Uses a tight left-to-right crossover to penetrate; turnover rate trimmed from 17 percent pre-All-Star to 11 percent post-break. Bottom line Jeremiah Fears is no longer just a promising lottery pick—he’s becoming the Pelicans’ X-factor in a tightening Western Conference race. If the rookie keeps pairing microwave scoring with two-way hustle, New Orleans could ride his breakout all the way to a top-six seed, and the league’s highlight reels will continue echoing one name: Jeremiah Fears.